Race strongly relates to how people perceive individuals as well as the actions of individuals who have different ethnicity from their own, and how they in turn relate to those individuals. This is a definition to race that can be used in the modern world. The issue of race has always been existent in the United States society ever since its inception. It is however notable that the issues surrounding race have always continued to evolve over time. What this means is that present issues of race are different from the racial issues that existed, let’s say 50 years ago. What this shows is that race is one of the major issues in the US today. One explanation in relation to this fact is that when racial discrimination and racial issues evolve, there is a significant size of the population which thinks that it has reduced or that it is no longer a significant issue in the society, however, the fact remains that it continues to remain a major issue in the modern American society, only that it changes form.
Modern day racism can be experienced in various different places. The issue is usually fueled by the upbringing of people. For instance, people usually develop attitudes, perceptions and behaviors that have been influenced by their parents as well as the people closest to them including their peers, teachers, and religious leaders among others. Most children, especially from White/Caucasian families grow up believing that most if not of all the black men are criminals. As a result, they end up growing with this perception deeply rooted in their minds and this affects the manner in which they view, perceive and interact with the African Americans.
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In the contemporary times, it is very obvious that White populations are very suspicious of the African American community. In law enforcement, this has had significant negative outcomes. For instance, many innocent African American males have lost their lives in the recent past, and many more have been jailed or imprisoned simply because the white law enforcers are suspicious of them and accuse them of crimes that they are unable to successfully defend themselves against. This again points out to the aspect of economic racism which is very evident in the US. Many individuals who belong to racial minorities are usually subjected to racial segregation in the work place. Many of them including individuals from Asian, Hispanic and black communities, are unable to get and maintain good paying jobs. What is more is that the ones who get meaningful employment sometimes find it difficult to rise within the hierarchy of the organizations that they work for. This is because career growth opportunities such as promotions and transfers are usually offered on discriminatory basis.
What makes the issue of racism in the contemporary society a compelling one is the fact that people have become accustomed to the status quo, which is, racism exists and it is there to stay. People find it normal to experience that members of ethnic minorities are discriminated against. That is why to many, especially among the Caucasian population which is perceived as being privileged by racial minorities, consider that it is standard or usual to find that ethnic minorities do not have appropriate access to quality healthcare and education services.
Another aspect that makes the racism a big problem in the modern US society is that the media has chosen to cloak or hide the existing problem of racism. The media does this through various different approaches including over-reporting news that involve members of ethnic minorities which are racially discriminated, progressing. For instance, when a member of the Asian, Black or Latina/Hispanic community does something remarkable or when they hold leadership positions in some of the best and biggest companies, they are usually receiving a lot of media attention. The reports about such individuals emphasize that the individuals are true examples and definitions of the American dream. However, issues of racism are usually downplayed and they do not receive much media attention. This is especially because they are considered as being normal or that reporting them can result in negative outcomes such as reactions from the segregated races. By doing so, the media have contributed to the increased racism and racial tension in the US. The above discussion clearly shows that racism is a major issue in the US. This is especially now that ethnic minorities, specifically the African Americans have begun responding to racism in regards to the increased killing of young and innocent African Americans by law enforcers.
- Coates, T.-N. (2015). Between the World and Me. Melbourne, Vic. The Text Publishing Company: Melbourne, Vic. The Text Publishing Company.
- Fleshman, K. (2016, July 7). Yes, Racism Is Still a Problem in America. Retrieved October 31, 2016, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/
- Marshall, S. (2016). The Fight Against Racism Today . Retrieved October 31, 2016, from race.eserver.org: http://race.eserver.org
